I love Thanksgiving … the signature smells, the turkey and mashed potatoes, and the love of family. I relish in the excitement of the holiday season. However, I know the holidays can be hard for some people for a variety of reasons. I remember the first Thanksgiving and Christmas after my mom passed away. It was tough, but it was so important to be grateful for the time we had with her.
If you struggle around the holidays, determine to change your attitude, because nothing gets you out of a funk like gratitude. Throw your hands in the air and start praising God. There was a reason King Jehoshaphat appointed a choir singing praise to God to lead the army. The moment they began their shouts and praises, Scriptures says, "the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. Why? Praise precedes the victory!
The devil knows the power of praise. So he comes to steal the word out of our heart with his lies, and we fall for it. Well, not this season! Use the power of gratitude against the enemy by shifting your focus to what you have as opposed to what you don't have. Author Nancy DeMoss says, "Gratitude is the overflow of a humble heart, just as surely as an ungrateful, complaining spirit flows out of a proud heart. I believe the unhappiest people on the planet are the most ungrateful.
Stir up your happy with the gift of laughter. Nothing says gratitude like laughter, and it is said to be the shortest distance between two people. Laughter draws people together and establishes a sense of trust. We cannot dismiss the benefits of a good hard belly laugh:
A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit crushes the bones.
Proverbs 17:22
Laughter is medicine and decreases stress hormones. The giggle pill is a natural anti-depressant, strengthens the immune system, and lowers blood pressure. Gratitude is good for the body and the soul.
Author of, Codependent No More, Melody Beattie writes, "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."
Enjoy this holiday season with a spirit of gratitude. Much love and Happy Thanksgiving!